102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB4225

 

Introduced 1/5/2022, by Rep. Terra Costa Howard

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
820 ILCS 275/5
820 ILCS 275/10
820 ILCS 275/15
820 ILCS 275/15.1 new
820 ILCS 275/20
820 ILCS 275/25
820 ILCS 275/50
820 ILCS 275/70
820 ILCS 275/75

    Amends the Workplace Violence Prevention Act. Expands the purpose of the Act to include protecting employees from unlawful violence and harassment at the workplace or because of an employee's employment duties or place of employment. Permits an employee to seek a workplace protection restraining order in certain circumstances, including, but not limited to, if: (i) the employee has suffered unlawful violence and the respondent has made a credible threat of violence to be carried out at the employee's workplace; and (ii) the employee believes that the respondent has made a credible threat of violence to be carried out at the employee's workplace or otherwise to be carried out against the same employee outside of the workplace because of the employee's employment duties or place of employment. Provides that an employee may not seek, and the court may not issue, a workplace protection restraining order if the employee otherwise qualifies for a protective order under the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986, the Civil No Contact Order Act, or the Stalking No Contact Order Act. Makes changes to the definition of "credible threat of violence" and "petitioner". Makes other changes.


LRB102 21276 KTG 30387 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB4225LRB102 21276 KTG 30387 b

1    AN ACT concerning employment.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Workplace Violence Prevention Act is
5amended by changing Sections 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 50, 70, and 75
6and by adding Section 15.1 as follows:
 
7    (820 ILCS 275/5)
8    Sec. 5. Purpose. This Act is intended to assist employers
9in protecting their workforces, customers, guests, and
10property by limiting access to workplace venues by potentially
11violent individuals and to assist employees in protecting
12themselves from unlawful violence and harassment at the
13workplace or because of an employee's employment duties or
14place of employment.
15(Source: P.A. 98-430, eff. 1-1-14; 99-78, eff. 7-20-15.)
 
16    (820 ILCS 275/10)
17    Sec. 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:
18    "Credible threat of violence" means a statement or course
19of conduct that is intended to cause, and does in fact cause,
20causes a reasonable person to fear that the person or others at
21the person's workplace will suffer bodily harm at the person's
22for the person's safety at his or her workplace or for the

 

 

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1safety of others at his or her workplace.
2    "Employee" means:
3        (1) a person employed or permitted to work or perform
4    a service for remuneration;
5        (2) a member of a board of directors of any
6    organization;
7        (3) an elected or appointed public officer; and
8        (4) a volunteer, independent contractor, agency
9    worker, or any other person who performs services for an
10    employer at the employer's place of work.
11    "Employer" means an individual, partnership, association,
12limited liability company, corporation, business trust, the
13State, a governmental agency, or a political subdivision that
14has at least 15 employees during any work week.
15    "Petitioner" means any employer or employee who commences
16a proceeding for a workplace protection restraining order.
17    "Respondent" means a person against whom a workplace
18protection restraining order proceeding has been commenced.
19    "Workplace" or "place of work" means any property that is
20owned or leased by the employer and at which the official
21business of the petitioner is conducted.
22    "Unlawful violence" means any act of violence, harassment,
23or stalking as defined by the Criminal Code of 2012.
24(Source: P.A. 98-430, eff. 1-1-14; 98-766, eff. 7-16-14.)
 
25    (820 ILCS 275/15)

 

 

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1    Sec. 15. Employer's right to a workplace protection
2restraining order. An employer may seek a workplace protection
3restraining order to prohibit further violence or threats of
4violence by the respondent if:
5        (1) an employee has suffered unlawful violence and the
6    respondent has made a credible threat of violence to be
7    carried out at the employee's workplace;
8        (2) an employee believes that the respondent has made
9    a credible threat of violence to be carried out at the
10    employee's workplace or otherwise to be carried out
11    against the employee outside of the workplace because of
12    the employee's employment duties or place of employment;
13    or
14        (3) an unlawful act of violence has been carried out
15    at the workplace or the respondent has made a credible
16    threat of violence at the workplace against an employee,
17    customer, or guest.
18(Source: P.A. 98-430, eff. 1-1-14; 98-766, eff. 7-16-14.)
 
19    (820 ILCS 275/15.1 new)
20    Sec. 15.1. Employee's right to a workplace protection
21restraining order.
22    (a) An employee may seek a workplace protection
23restraining order to prohibit further violence or threats of
24violence by the respondent if:
25        (1) the employee has suffered unlawful violence and

 

 

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1    the respondent has made a credible threat of violence to
2    be carried out at the employee's workplace;
3        (2) the employee believes that the respondent has made
4    a credible threat of violence to be carried out at the
5    employee's workplace or otherwise to be carried out
6    against the same employee outside of the workplace because
7    of the employee's employment duties or place of
8    employment; or
9        (3) an unlawful act of violence has been carried out
10    at the workplace against the employee or the respondent
11    has made a credible threat of violence at the workplace
12    against the employee.
13    (b) An employee may not seek, and the court may not issue,
14a workplace protection restraining order if the employee
15otherwise qualifies for a protective order under the Illinois
16Domestic Violence Act of 1986, the Civil No Contact Order Act,
17or the Stalking No Contact Order Act. The court may not order a
18workplace protection restraining order if there is a pending
19or currently active protective order pertaining to the same
20parties under the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986, the
21Civil No Contact Order Act, or the Stalking No Contact Order
22Act.
 
23    (820 ILCS 275/20)
24    Sec. 20. Affidavit. An employer or employee may obtain a
25workplace protection restraining order if the employer or

 

 

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1employee files an affidavit that shows by a preponderance of
2the evidence that:
3        (1) the conditions of Sections Section 15, 15.1, and
4    21 of this Act have been met, as applicable;
5        (2) if the petitioner is seeking an emergency order,
6    great or irreparable harm has been suffered, will be
7    suffered, or is likely to be suffered by an employee at the
8    workplace;
9        (3) if the employer is seeking a workplace protection
10    restraining order involving an employee who is a victim of
11    unlawful violence by a family or household member as
12    defined by item (6) of Section 103 of the Illinois
13    Domestic Violence Act of 1986, the conditions of Section
14    21 of this Act have been met.
15(Source: P.A. 98-430, eff. 1-1-14; 98-766, eff. 7-16-14.)
 
16    (820 ILCS 275/25)
17    Sec. 25. Remedies. Remedies Employer remedies under this
18Act are limited to a workplace protection restraining order.
19Nothing in this Act, however, waives, reduces, or diminishes
20any other civil or criminal remedy available to an employer or
21employee. A workplace protection restraining order issued by
22the court may:
23        (1) Prohibit the respondent's unlawful violence in the
24    workplace, including ordering the respondent to stay away
25    from the workplace. When the respondent is employed at the

 

 

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1    workplace location, the court, when issuing a workplace
2    protection restraining order, shall consider the severity
3    of the act and any continuing physical danger or emotional
4    distress to any employee in the workplace.
5        (2) Upon notice to the respondent, order the
6    respondent to pay the petitioner for property losses
7    suffered as a direct result of the actions of the
8    respondent. Such losses include, but are not limited to,
9    repair or replacement of property damaged or taken,
10    reasonable attorney's fees, and court costs to recover the
11    property losses.
12    The remedies provided in this Section are in addition to
13other civil or criminal remedies available to the employer or
14employee.
15(Source: P.A. 98-430, eff. 1-1-14; 98-766, eff. 7-16-14.)
 
16    (820 ILCS 275/50)
17    Sec. 50. Process.
18    (a) Any action for a workplace protection restraining
19order requires that a separate summons be issued and served.
20The summons shall require the respondent to answer and appear
21within 7 days. Attachments to the summons or notice shall
22include the petition for a workplace protection restraining
23order, supporting affidavits, if any, and any emergency
24workplace protection restraining order that has been issued.
25    (b) The summons shall be served by the sheriff or other law

 

 

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1enforcement officer at the earliest time possible and shall
2take precedence over other summonses except those of a similar
3emergency nature. A special process server may be appointed at
4any time, and the appointment of a special process server
5shall not affect the responsibilities and authority of the
6sheriff or other official process servers.
7    (c) Service of summons on a member of the respondent's
8household or by publication is adequate if: (1) the petitioner
9has made all reasonable efforts to accomplish actual service
10of process personally upon the respondent, but the respondent
11cannot be found to effect the service; and (2) the petitioner
12files an affidavit or presents sworn testimony describing
13those efforts.
14    (d) A plenary workplace protection restraining order may
15be entered by default for the remedy sought in the petition if
16the respondent has been served in accordance with subsection
17(a) of this Section or given notice and if the respondent then
18fails to appear as directed or fails to appear on any
19subsequent appearance or hearing date agreed to by the parties
20or set by the court.
21    (e) An employee who has been a victim of unlawful domestic
22violence by the respondent is not required to and the court may
23not order the employee to testify, participate in, or appear
24in this process for any purpose.
25(Source: P.A. 98-766, eff. 7-16-14.)
 

 

 

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1    (820 ILCS 275/70)
2    Sec. 70. Emergency order.
3    (a) The court shall issue an emergency workplace
4protection restraining order if the petitioner establishes
5that:
6        (1) the court has jurisdiction under Section 40 of
7    this Act;
8        (2) the requirements of Sections 15, 15.1, and 21 of
9    this Act are satisfied, as applicable; and
10        (3) there is good cause to grant the remedy,
11    regardless of prior service of notice upon the respondent,
12    because the harm which that remedy is intended to prevent
13    would be likely to occur if the respondent were given
14    prior notice or greater notice than was actually given of
15    the petitioner's efforts to obtain judicial relief.
16    An emergency workplace protection restraining order shall
17be issued by the court if it appears from the contents of the
18petition and the examination of the petitioner that the
19averments are sufficient to indicate irreparable harm under
20Section 20 of this Act by the respondent and to support the
21granting of relief through the issuance of the emergency
22workplace protection restraining order.
23    (b) If the respondent appears in court for the hearing for
24an emergency order, he or she may elect to file a general
25appearance and testify. Any resulting order may be an
26emergency order, governed by this Section. Notwithstanding the

 

 

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1requirements of this Section, if all requirements of Section
275 of this Act have been met, the court may issue a plenary
3order.
4    (c) If the court is unavailable at the close of business,
5the petitioner may file a petition for a 21-day emergency
6order before any available judge who may grant relief under
7this Act. If the judge finds that there is an immediate and
8present danger of irreparable harm and that the petitioner has
9satisfied the prerequisites set forth in subsection (a) of
10this Section, that judge may issue an emergency workplace
11protection restraining order.
12    (d) The chief judge of the circuit court may designate for
13each county in the circuit at least one judge to be reasonably
14available to issue orally, by telephone, by facsimile, by
15electronic means that comply with procedures established by
16the court, or otherwise, an emergency workplace protection
17restraining order at all times, whether or not the court is in
18session.
19    (e) Any order issued under this Section and any
20documentation in support of the order shall be certified on
21the next court day to the appropriate court. The clerk of the
22court shall immediately assign a case number, file the
23petition, order, and other documents with the court, and enter
24the order of record and file it with the sheriff for service in
25accordance with Section 85 of this Act. Filing the petition
26shall commence proceedings for further relief under Section 30

 

 

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1of this Act. Failure to comply with the requirements of this
2subsection (e) does not affect the validity of the order.
3(Source: P.A. 98-766, eff. 7-16-14.)
 
4    (820 ILCS 275/75)
5    Sec. 75. Plenary order. The court shall issue a plenary
6workplace protection restraining order if the petitioner has
7served notice of the hearing for that order on the respondent
8in accordance with Section 55 of this Section and establishes
9that:
10        (1) the court has jurisdiction under Section 40 of
11    this Act;
12        (2) the requirements of Sections 15, 15.1, and 21 of
13    this Act are satisfied, as applicable;
14        (3) a general appearance was made or filed by or for
15    the respondent or process was served on the respondent in
16    the manner required by Section 50 of this Act; and
17        (4) the respondent has answered or is in default.
18(Source: P.A. 98-766, eff. 7-16-14.)